Steering mechanism for road freight-cars.



M J. TODD. STEERING MECHANISM FOR ROAD FREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1910 gm qgg Patented Jan. 10,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. J. TODD.

STEERING MECHANISM FOR ROAD FREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1910v $1 499, Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 gnvcuroz Wu name.

MARQUIS J. TODD, OF BUFFALO, NEW YOBK, ASSIGNOR T BUFFALO EITTS COMPANY,

OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPOL ATIQN OF NEW YOPJK.

STEERING MEGHANISIfl FOR ROAD FREIGHT-CABS.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Jan. to, lentil.

Application filed March 9, 1910. Serial No. 548,281.

it appertains to niake and use the same.

In the transportation'of heavy freight by a train of road cars or wagons, each *arry- 111g between twelve and. fifteen tons of freight, it is frequently necessary that the train be moved-1n reverse order so that a car or cars it or near the normal rear end of the train may be properly positioned to receive or discharge freight. This requires that the steering of the train be aeconi plishcd from What, is new the forward end of'the otherwise rear car. This steering is effected by shiftnig the carrying wheels.

()ivnw to the reat weight these cars are reqnired to carry, they are, necessarily, made ofvery heavy material. and it is essential that the carrying wheels be mounted on extra heavy axles and that the latter be pivotally connected to the bodies by king bolts.

The object of my invention is to provide simple and inexpensive. means for enablin' the carrying wheels and their axle to be asily and readily shifted with the expenditure of ,bnt little energy so that the direction of travel of a backing train of heavy road freight cars may be controlled at the end remote from the engine.

.My invention contemplates the employment of a lever to be fulcrumed on one member of the fifth wheel and to engage the 40 other member of the fifth wheel, and it further contemplates the provision of a lone lever so that, upon the application of C0111- paratively little power to the outer end of the lever the heavy axle and carrying wheels may be shifted in either direction. Preferably the lever is detachable and carried on the side of the car when not in use.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a road freight car orwagon constructed njaccordnvnce w th my present nnproveinent. Fig; 2 1s an enlarged tragmentarv plan view of the steering means.

the fifth wheel. on the upper member of the fifth wheel and root travel.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 33, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the car or wagon body; 2 the -.'carrying wheels; 8 the axle; and 4 the bolster to which the axle is pivoted, at its center, by a kin bolt Inasmuch as both axles are equipped alike the description of one will apply to the other. I Wheel which is composed of corresponding upper and lower members, 6 and 7. are shown as continuous circles, the upper one being braced and bolted to the bolster and the lower one similarly secured to the axle. l have shown the lower member 1 provided withla lateral projection 8 which, in the present instance, is represented in the form of a curved bar fixedly secured at its ends to the underside of member 7 and as slightly deflected so as to occupy the same plane as the upper member 6. The latter is provided at a point in line, longitudinally Surrounding the kin bolt is the fifth These of the car, with the king bolt 5, with an upwardly projecting bolt or headed stud '9 which forms a fulcrum for a long lever 10,

which lever is shown as having at its inner end a forked plate 12 which permits it to be readily placed in engagement with stud 9, the fingers of the plate passing beneath the head of the stud and a guard 13. This lever,

at a point a short distance outward from its engagement with stud 9, is provided with a vertical opening through which is passed a pin 14 for pivotally locking the lever to the lateral pro3ection8 of the lower member of The fulcrum of the lever its point of looking to the lowerincniber are in direct line with the king-bolt when the wheels and their axle are positioned for di- W hen it is desired to shift the carrying-wheels and their axles relatively to the car body, and thus control the direction of travel, the operator bears laterally on the outer end of the long lever, thereby shifting the lower member of the fifth Wheel, the axle and the carrying-wheels, the fulcrum of the lever remaining in line with the king bolt of the axle. But very little energy is required to bring about this result. This is due to the long lever and the comparatively short distance between the fulcrum thereof on one member of the fifth wheel and the point of connection with the other member. /Vhen not in use the. lever is readily detachable by withdrawing locking pin 14, and it is prefably carried on the side of the ear.

Ordinarily the distance beyond the point of locl four to one, By means of a lever ten feet long a person can, with one hand, at a point a few feet from the car, control the direction of travel of a car carrying twenty tons or more with even greater case than the same can be controlled by a pair of powerful horses hitched directly to a pole extending from the axle. I

I claim as my invention:

I 1. In a reversible road freight ear or wa on, the combination of -a body, a centra ly pivoted axle, carryingwheels thereon, a fifth wheel carried by the axle, a bodily detachable lever fulcrumed on the-car body at'a point beyond the pivot of the axle, and means for detachably locking said lever to the fifth wheel to enable said axle and carrying wheels to be shifted relatively to the car-body, the point of locking the lever to the fifth wheel being close to the fulcrum of the lever.

' 2; In a reversible road freight car or Wagon, the combination of a body, centrally pivoted axles, carrying wheels thereon, fifth wheels carried by the axles, a bodily detaclr.

able lever designed to be fulcrumed on the car-body at either end thereof at a point he yond the pivot of the adjacent axle and to 5 project some distance horizontally therefrom, and means for de'tachably locking said 1 lever to the fifth wheel at a point near to the fulcrum of the lever to enable said axle and wheels to. be shifted relatively to the carbody.

3. In a reversible road freight car or wagon, the combination of a body, a centrally-pivoted axle, carrying wheels thereon, a fifth wheel composed of two parts, one secured to the axle and havi.ng a lateral projection, and the other part secured to the car body, a bodily detachable lever designed to be fulcrumed on the latter member at a point beyond the pivot of the axle, and means for detachably lockingthe lever to said projection of the axle-member of the fifth wheel.

4;. In a reversible road freight car or wagon, the combination of a body, a centrally-pivoted axle, carrying wheels thereon, a fifth wheel composed of upper and lower circular members, one secured to the body and the other to the axle, a bar secured to said lower member and bent to occupy the from said upper member, a lever having a forked end for engagnig said stud, said lever plane of the upper member, a stud projecting to one part of the fifth-wheel and engaging 1 the other part for turning one of them rela- 1 tively to the other.

In. testimony whereof, I have signed this specification ill the presence oftwo sllbstll h lug witnesses- MARQU I S J. 'l( )Dl).

\Vit nesses: I 

